Published 4:00 am, Tuesday, April 21, 1998

1998-04-21 04:00:00 PDT SONOMA CO. -- Sonoma County supervisors are expected to decide tonight whether to offer voters the chance at widening Highway 101 all the way to the Marin County line, as part of a massive transportation plan.

The decision, which will come after a public hearing, is eagerly anticipated by thousands of commuters who get stuck in daily traffic jams on the antiquated highway through much of Sonoma County.

The issue is whether the supervisors agree to widen the highway from two to three lanes in each direction from Windsor south to the county line. The alternative is a much cheaper plan to widen the freeway only as far south as Petaluma.

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The supervisors will also discuss, and possibly vote on, whether to put a half-cent sales tax increase lasting 20 years or a 0.75 percent sales tax increase for 15 years on the ballot in November to pay for the transportation plan.

Either tax measure would raise an estimated $800 million, which is the projected cost of putting in a light rail commuter system to run parallel to Highway 101, enhancing bus service, installing and improving bicycle trails and widening the freeway to Marin.

Only about $550 million would be needed if Highway 101 remains at only two lanes south of Petaluma.

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"I believe the board will make a momentous decision for the future of Sonoma County," said Supervisor Paul Kelley, an advocate of the widening project. "What we do (tonight) will go on the ballot in November. There may be a few tweaks and adjustments, but I think we'll get the majority of it done."

The supervisors, buoyed by polls showing that Sonoma County voters would be willing to tax themselves to pay for the improvements, appear to be leaning toward the 0.75 percent tax. Kelley said the higher tax would provide more money faster, permitting the work to be completed sooner.

Some environmentalists and rail supporters, however, are against widening the freeway, saying it will encourage commuters to use the freeway instead of commuter trains.

The plan is to put the sales tax increase and the transportation plan on the ballot as separate measures. This strategy was used successfully by Santa Clara County to avoid the requirement to win two- thirds approval for so-called "special taxes."

What Sonoma County decides to do will have major repercussions on Marin County, which is considering a similar sales tax measure, transportation and light rail plan.

The worst bottleneck on Highway 101 is the eight-mile stretch of two-lane highway between Petaluma and Novato called "The Narrows." Marin County will be under tremendous pressure to widen its portion of that bottleneck if Sonoma County supervisors approve the highway widening plan tonight.

Both counties rejected sales taxes for transportation improvements in 1990.